Is our destiny, fate or happening in the life solely determined by Karma?
The answer is a definite no. Because if it were so a soul will never come
out of the Karma cycle. In fact there are five operators which determine
our destiny.

(a) The ability of the soul. The ability of
the soul is immense and no amount of Karma can completely obscure it.
The soul is like a king and the Karma his courtiers. Howsoever powerful
the courtiers are the king can exercise his discretion and make
appropriate decision. What is needed is determination. The power of the
soul is so great that if a person is determined to proceed on the path
to emancipation, the Karma would go in the silent mode and wait for the
onslaught by the soul. The soul with powerful action can destroy the
Karmas and pave the way for liberation. This, however, should not imply
that every soul can achieve this feat. Only in very rare case the
determination is so strong that the might of Karma can be defeated.
Generally, the Karma dictate the imprisoned king, the soul.

(b) Circumstances. We have no control over the
circumstances. The Karma has access to the soul only. We have to adjust
ourselves according to the circumstances. The Karma has no role in
choosing the wife or husband, sons or daughters, meeting or departing,
loss or profit, etc. Similarly the natural calamites like floods,
draughts, storms, earthquakes, etc. have nothing to do with our Karma.
The government policies and rules are based on considerations other than
our Karma. In essence, the destruction and production of anything other
than our self is governed by their own causes and is not connected with
our Karma.

(c) Time. Time is an independent operator. It
affects everything in the universe including our lives. Some events are
time dependent and bear no relationship with our Karma. As a subject we
have to put up with such events.

(d) Karma. Karma is the most important
operator in our destiny. It plays the major role in deciding the course
of our life. Three ways were suggested earlier to reduce the role of
Karma, viz; acting as a neutral observer, penance and meditation.

(e) Initiative. By taking proper initiatives a
person can change the course of his life which otherwise would be guided
by Karma. Right initiative provides means in our hands to shape our
destiny according to our will. What is needed is a strong determination,
courage, untiring efforts, self ï¿½ confidence energy and faith. Napoleon
Bonaparte built his future by his own determination, hard work and
confidence. You can be an architect of your destiny by inculcating such
virtues. As per the Jaina theory the bonds of Karma can be changed by
proper initiatives. It is possible to have early rise of Karma, the
intensity of action of the Karma can be reduced, and the nature of Karma
can be changed in some cases, etc. by taking positive initiatives. The
choice is with you. All great men in the world have fought with their
Karmas and won. Greatness is not a gift, it is earned by hard work,
perseverance, dedication and determination. This is the way to defeat the
Karma and to shape the future. In the absence of proper initiatives the
Karma is the master of your destiny.